


Expecto Amorum

by takhallus



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-01
Updated: 2015-12-01
Packaged: 2018-05-04 08:15:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5327060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/takhallus/pseuds/takhallus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry is in love with Louis Tomlinson, a wizard in his year who barely knows he exists. When Harry manages to cast a perfect patronus, Louis asks to be tutored, and it leads to confessions, hospital beds, and a Yule Ball none of them will ever forget</p><p>Thanks for a great prompt, it's a little different than you asked for to add a bit of drama, hope you like it!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Expecto Amorum

**Author's Note:**

  * For [snowglobegays](https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowglobegays/gifts).



Harry leans down and points his camera at the most beautiful leaf he’s ever seen. Light brown which just burns into red at the edges, fringed and preserved by the first autumn frost. People tease him about his muggle camera if they catch him with it, but today he’s too enchanted by the leaf to care. He glances about anyway, just in case there’s someone about to cast a shadow over his picture. The courtyard is all but deserted, just a few people muttering in small groups, getting some of the fresh, icy air into their lungs before their next class. He frames up and snaps the shutter twice, just in case. His camera isn’t digital and obviously there’s no developers in Hogsmeade so he won’t be able to see his photos for months, but it will be worth the wait when he gets the photos back, probably in the spring if he’s realistic, and is gifted the memory of a perfect autumn leaf. 

Voices stir Harry and he stands up, looking behind him where a slowly loudening buzz is coming through the courtyard. It’s a gang of Gryffindor first years being led into lunch by one of the sixth year boys, Louis Tomlinson. Since the Battle, over twenty years ago now, the first years are corralled everywhere by reluctant older students. Louis hasn’t noticed Harry, never notices Harry, unless he’s in a playful mood and looking for someone to tease in front of his mates. Louis’ reedy voice carries over the courtyard as the gaggle of young witches and wizards hangs on his every word.

“Now when we start getting closer to Christmas the really good food comes out. The cooks need to practice their best stuff for the big Christmas feast so you get a little taster with every meal. Our Gryffindor table always gets the best stuff first because of Ms Crockemboosh , the head cook. She was a Gryffindor you see. When I was a first year we had this old Hufflepuff cook called Merrin but he wasn’t half as good as old Crocky. “

One of the youngsters,a scruffy headed kid with bright blue eyes pipes up. “Weren’t you nearly in Hufflepuff Louis? I heard you were nearly a hatstall.”

Louis looks scandalised. “No! That was Liam, you know Liam? The Gryffindor keeper? The hat was barely on my head it sorted me so fast. I’d have jumped off the astronomy tower if I’d been sorted into Hufflepuff!”

The kids all laugh and Harry pouts, he’s just about to walk off when he looks up and sees Louis staring straight at him, slightly shamefaced. The yellow of Harry’s scarf suddenly seems to glow fluorescent. Louis turns away and leads the group on with a flourish. “Anyway, there’s squash soup today, my favourite, so let’s get inside shall we?”

Harry scuffs his foot into a pile of autumn leaves and sighs. He’s had a crush on Louis Tomlinson since his first day here, when they bumped into each other, literally, on the Hogwart’s Express. Harry had helped Louis pick up his things which had been scattered all over the train corridor, and they had fallen into a carriage inhabited by just one sleeping student, another new first year who didn’t wake up until they arrived. Zayn had been Harry’s first real friend after his and Louis’ fledgling friendship didn’t last past the sorting. Louis had been cheered into the Gryffindors, while Harry, his first name a burden to him, had been sorted into Hufflepuff. He’d spent the first few days just answering the same questions - yes he was from a wizarding family, his sister Gemma was in the fourth year, yes, he was named after THAT Harry, no, he didn’t know the floppy haired wizard from Doncaster who he was staring at. 

His and Louis’ paths hardly ever cross, but it hasn’t stopped Harry from mooning over him for the last five years. He reads and re-reads the updates of ‘Hogwarts : A History’, otherwise known as the Potter Omnibus, romanticising the story and imagining he and Louis going to DA meetings, and battling alongside each other. He saves Louis in his dreams over and over, sometimes from the fangs of the legendary snake Nagini, sometimes from being crushed by falling debris in the castle, sometimes from Voldemort himself. 

“Oi, daydreamer. Are you coming to Defence or what?”

Harry glances up to see Zayn, his head covered by a woolly hat since he decided to shave his head and charm his remaining hair blonde. “Yeah, suppose. Not really in the mood though.”

Zayn smirks. “Oh really? That’s a shame because Professor Roach seems to have gone a bit mad - she says we’re doing patronuses.”

Harry gapes. The patronus charm has been the keystone of so many of Harry’s fantasies. He’s read that couples sometimes have complimentary ones, like Lily and James Potter, or that their patronus can change form when they fall in love. He even has his happy memory all ready for the charm, the moment when he made Louis laugh on the Hogwart’s Express. His eyes had crinkled and blazed as if a great light of happiness was behind them. His smile had spread across his face so brightly that Harry had lost his breath for a moment. 

“Harry! Oh my God, what’s wrong with you today? You just zoned out again.”

Harry jumps up and jams his camera in his bag, grabbing Zayn by the arm. “Come on, let’s get there early in case only some of us can do it, I want to see mine.”

Zayn scoffs at him. “As if any of us will do it the first time. It’s not even on the syllabus for this year, it’s too hard.”

But Harry knows, in his heart of hearts, that he will do it. He’s in love, and people in love can do amazing things.

\--

 

Professor Roach’s classroom is bright with candles and colour charms that she casts before every lesson. Her slow, deadpan voice and measured delivery doesn’t match the way she dresses, she wears a long flowing purple skirt with a bright flowery blouse and a bright red beret over her long black, poker-straight hair. Round her neck is a large pendant of a fox, which Harry knows is her patronus because Gemma has seen her cast it effortlessly. Gemma managed to get a mis-shapen kind of cat once but she had never been into the DADA lessons, preferring Astronomy and Runes. 

Harry and Zayn are at the front of class as Professor Roach wheels away one of the blackboards to make room. Harry can’t see Louis, but he can hear his unmistakeable voice as he chats and jokes with Liam Payne and Niall Horan, his fellow Gryffindor quidditch team mates. 

Professor Roach turns to the class and makes the candles flare and roar to get everyone’s attention. In the six years he has been here at Hogwarts, Harry has never heard her raise her voice. “Now everyone, I expect you might have heard that today we’re going to cast the patronus charm.”

There’s a low rumble amongst the class from those who obviously didn’t know, and Harry distinctively hears Louis mutter an ‘oh’. 

Professor Roach’s pale silver birch wand flicks as she talks, the colour charms dancing around her. “Now this is a very advanced spell but you’re a good class and I think at least a few of you will be able to do it based on your previous successes in Charms and in Defence. You all know the incantation, but the skill is in identifying and controlling the appropriate memory. I’m sad to say that not everyone has a memory which is sufficiently happy enough to sustain a patronus, that’s just a fact of life. If you can’t think of anything strong enough now, don’t worry, just work on being happy in the future and you’ll find one. The likelihood of you ever having to use this particular charm is very remote, but then what’s what they thought twenty years ago.”

Her eyes flicker up and her brow furrows a little. “Yes Mr Tomlinson, is there a question?” Harry is desperate to turn around but he stays stock still in his chair.

“I don’t quite know how to ask this Professor, but like, does it have to be an emotional memory or can it be a … physical memory.” When he speaks Louis sounds like he’s smiling and there are a few giggles. Surely he won’t try to get a laugh at the expense of Professor Roach? Her dry humour is legendary, she can cut anyone down with a good one liner.

Harry focuses on Professor Roach’s face and sees her eyes dance with glee, though her mouth remains a determined red line. “I think I know what you’re getting at Mr Tomlinson, and although I’m sure many of your most treasured memories involve physical happiness it has never been known to be able to sustain a patronus. Though I’m sure if anyone could manage it it would be you.”

There’s a gentle snigger from some of the class but Harry doesn't get it. He looks at Zayn with confusion written across his face. Zayn just rolls his eyes and then makes a wanking motion with hand and Harry’s mouth falls open. He makes the motion himself as if to question Zayn but suddenly his friend’s face is completely straight. Harry looks up to see Professor Roach looking straight at him and feels his cheeks burn with humiliation. 

“Harry Styles.” she announces without inflection. “Why don’t you come up and demonstrate how difficult it is to cast a patronus when you are unfocused.”

Harry reluctantly gets up from his seat, willing the redness to drain from his cheeks before he has to face the class. 

“Now grip your wand nice and tightly.”

Harry cringes and the class erupts in laughter. Zayn has his head in his hands. Harry closes his eyes and swallows hard.

“That’s it, close your eyes if it helps.” More laughter and now Harry wishes a dementor would just come and kill him. “Now clear your mind and focus on your one happiest memory. And give the incantation , _Expecto Patronum_ , with a flick of your wand, as if the force of the patronus will fly out of the end of it.”

Harry takes a deep breath, focuses on the memory of Louis laughing, and flicks his wand. “Expecto Patronum.”

Nothing. He opens his eyes and not even a whisp of anything is in the air in front of him.

“Again Harry, more forceful with the incantation and keep your arm straight.”

“Expecto Patronum!” Still nothing. Harry’s shoulders drop. He’ll never find out what his patronus is, or whether it’s linked in any way to Louis.

“Okay Harry, one more time, and this time maybe try a different memory, search for one that’s even happier.”

Harry breathes deep again. He genuinely can’t think of when he’s felt any happier. Unless… He summons up a thought, squares his shoulders and raises his head defiantly. “Expecto Patronum!”  
Harry’s arm feels like it’s on fire and to his amazement a life-sized tiger materialises in the air and roars, swiping its paw. It’s as bright as new snow and strong and clear in its form and suddenly the class are cheering. Harry smiles and just like that, the patronus fades. 

“Harry, well done! That was fantastic!” Professor Roach is more animated than he has ever seen her. “I was your age when I cast my first patronus and it was nowhere near as clear and defined as that. Ten points to Hufflepuff.”

Harry grins and takes his seat, looking over at Zayn, who is just shaking his head in amazement. Harry is in a daze for the rest of the lesson, he isn't called upon to try the spell again as Professor Roach says she doesn’t want him to strain himself, and only three people come close to casting theirs. Perrie Edwards gets a faint line which could be a crocodile or a lizard, and Niall can sort of get something he calls a sheep though it looks like more of a cloud to Harry. The third person to get anything recognisable, is Louis. Harry prays for a tiger, like his, but there’s no mistaking the form.

It’s the head of a dog, but beyond that you can’t pick out the shape. Professor Roach tells him that the reason the head is quite clear but the body isn’t is that he lost faith in his memory halfway through. Louis just nods as if he knows what she means, but brightens when Liam and Niall come over to high five him. As he goes back to his seat he nods to Harry. “Nice cat, Styles.”

A hairline crack appears in Harry’s heart as he realises that his patronus is literally a big cat, and the mortal enemy of Louis’ dog. 

At the end of the class he’s about to leave when Professor Roach asks him to wait. He’s hoping he will get a few more house points but the professor looks more confused than jubilant. “Is anything wrong Professor?” he asks nervously.

She shakes her head. “Not at all Harry, I was just interested in the clarity of that patronus. I have a personal theory, would you mind if I told you?”

“No, professor.” Harry is suddenly worried - does she think he cheated? Is it possible to cheat at a patronus charm?

“The second memory you conjured up, the one which produced the best patronus...Was it an actual memory? Or was it more of.. a fantasy.”

Harry swallows hard. How did she know? He’s about to open his mouth and deny it but the professor places her hand gently on his shoulder and he relaxes.

“Don’t worry Harry, it’s perfectly alright, it’s actually a technique I used to use myself. I often found it difficult to think of a happy memory, so I experimented with fantasising about something happy and found that my patronuses were much stronger as a result. It’s not something everyone can do, and some people think it can’t be done, but I know different.”

Harry nods. “I was trying my happiest memory. but it just didn’t seem to be working, so I… I developed it a bit, and concentrated on how that might feel, and it just...happened.”

Professor Roach gives a small smile. “Excellent Harry, that was great creative thinking, and it paid off. I think personal experimentation in Defence can be the most effective method. Well done.”

She gives him a firm pat on the shoulder and he turns to leave. He’s almost at the door when she calls to him. “Oh and Harry? I hope that fantasy turns into a memory one day.”

He smiles, blushing, and jogs off to find Zayn. He hopes that his friend won’t grill him too much about the patronus thing because he doesn’t want to lie, and he can’t tell him that the ‘memory’ he used to cast the patronus was kissing Louis Tomlinson under the mistletoe at the Yule Ball, as snowflakes fell around them.

-

He doesn’t come down from the high of casting his patronus until reality punches him in the back of the head the following day. The date of the Yule Ball is announced, and though Harry knew that certain popular people would be putting a lot of effort into securing their dates, he didn’t realise that virtually everyone in their year was scrambling to get a partner until he started seeing ‘prom proposal’ charms happening everywhere. Niall Horan makes the leaves of an oak tree turn bright pink to get the attention of Shannon Rose, a gorgeous red headed girl in Ravenclaw. Liam Payne tries to conjure a gust of wind to blow Aurelie Maddox’s Slytherin scarf into a tree so he can go and rescue it for her, but ends up just blowing her skirt up and getting a month of detention. And she still says yes. Zayn just asks Eartha Achebe “Hey babe, you wanna go the Yule Ball with me like?” and she shrugs and nods They’re perfect for each other. 

Harry just thinks he’ll probably go on his own. No-one will ask him. His female friends love him but they’re not going to pass up the most romantic night of the year to do nothing but sit and chat with Harry while he tries to sneak glances at Louis. He knows Louis won’t go on his own, there are probably dozens of girls who would say yes at the drop of a hat, but he hopes Louis will at least hold off asking for a while. Then he walks around a corner of the transfiguration corridor and sees Scarlett Morrison surrounded by pink butterflies that then form the words ‘LOUIS YULE BALL?’ She looks elated and spins round to see Louis hiding in a doorway. She kisses him on the cheek and runs off giggling with her fellow Gryffindor girls, and Harry’s heart breaks into a thousand pieces. 

He’s lying on his bed later feeling sorry for himself and grunting at everything Zayn says when his friend sighs and curls up next to him. “You didn’t really think he was going to ask you did you?”

“Don’t know what you mean.” Harry mutters. Zayn cuddles up to him and Harry eventually lets himself be comforted. “No, I suppose not. Does...does everyone know I like him?”

“Yeah.”

Harry groans and covers his face. “I hate this. This is the worst feeling ever.” 

“Why don’t you ask someone? There’s a load of cute boys in the year below who’d go with you. There’s a ton of people in our year who think you’re cute but you never even notice them.”

“Like who?”

“Like Jake.”

Harry muses on that. Jake Daynes is a pretty Hufflepuff kid with blonde hair and big brown eyes, and pink pouty lips which Harry could definitely see himself kissing. He’s kind of shy and likes music, has cute little dimples. “Maybe...I don’t know. Can’t I just be sad for a bit?”

Zayn chuckles and kisses Harry on the top of his head, getting back onto his own bed. “Sure you can Haz, just...you know, he’s not the whole world.”

He is to me Harry thinks.

\- 

There’s a whisper going around Hogwarts that Scarlett Morrison is not happy with Louis. Something about her inviting him to Hogsmeade to help her pick a dress, and him not turning up because he was too busy pranking the Slytherin quidditch team. Harry doesn’t usually pay attention to gossip, but this could be interesting. He tries to eavesdrop on some of the groups of whispering students but can’t quite get the full picture - he hears everything from Scarlett is pregnant, to Louis can’t afford to get her a corsage, to Louis fancies boys now anyway, which he enjoys hearing. He’s so engaged with the gossiping that he doesn’t even hear the object of his affection calling his name.

“Harry! God, what’s the matter with you? If you cut your hair it wouldn’t cover your ears so much!”

Harry spins round to look at Louis and must look terrified because the other boy softens and squeezes his arm.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you it’s just I’ve been saying your name for the last five minutes. Can I talk to you about something?”

Harry nods, unable to form words.

“Well, you know I usually struggle at Defence, but then I was able to make that patronus pretty good, so I started thinking that maybe if I just worked a bit harder I could be good at it, and I was wondering if you’d like, be my tutor? I’ll make it worth your while.”

“Erm, okay.” 

“Great! Can you come to my dorm at 4?”

Harry is about to nod when panic strikes him that this is a prank, after all it has come out of the blue and Louis seems to be on a roll where tricks are concerned. “No, wait, there’s a better place, erm, the old pagoda by the boathouse. It’s better to do Defence outside.”

Louis just shrugs. “Okay. I’ll see you there.” He gives Harry a dazzling smile and a clap on the arm before he jogs off, and Harry just about manages to stay standing. 

-

The three hours until their meeting drags so much that Harry begins to wonder if there’s a curse on him. He usually enjoys Muggle Studies but today the lesson is about the Industrial Revolution and Harry just switches off, daydreaming about Louis asking him out to the Yule Ball and kissing him under the mistletoe. When he’s finally able to get out of lessons he sprints down to the dorm and checks his appearance before taking a deep breath and starting off towards the boathouse.

The pagoda has a solid back, and faces the lake, so Harry can’t see from the path if anyone is inside. He suddenly panics that someone else is in there before him, but then he puffs out a cloud of freezing air and realises you would have to be mad to want to come here in this weather. Once in the wooden pagoda he brushes away a few dead leaves and settles in to wait for Louis. 

After twenty minutes he decides that Louis is not coming, and is sadly making his way back up the path when he sees Louis running down it at full pelt. 

“Sorry! Sorry, I stopped to get this.” He holds up a flask and when Harry just stares at him he wiggles it in the air. “Vegetable soup, cos it’s cold. We’ll have to share the cup but I’ve not got any diseases or anything.”

Harry smiles and nods towards the pagoda. “Sorry, I didn’t think about the cold, I just thought there’d be too many people inside and it would be harder to do anything.”

Louis just shrugs. “It’s fine, whatever works.” He walks off, leaving Harry to trot behind him. When Harry catches up Louis is inside the pagoda looking impressed. “I like this! Imagine what you could get up to in here - no-one can see you! You could even cast a little proximity warning spell around you, if you wanted some real privacy.”

Despite the cold, heat rises up into Harry’s cheeks. “Yeah, I mean, that’s not why I picked it.”

Louis just chuckles. “Hmm, I believe you. I’ve got my eye on you, Styles.” He winks, and Harry’s stomach does a somersault. “Right, come on then, let’s see that patronus.”

Harry takes a deep breath, wondering how long Louis will stay if he can’t do the spell again. He raises his wand, straightens his arm, and takes a quick look at Louis, recreating his pretty blue eyes and perfect bone structure in his head, imagining the scent of him, the wool of his Gryffindor scarf on his fingers as he pulls Louis towards him. He thinks of the softness of his lips, the first touch of his tongue, and says “Expecto Patronum!” 

This tiger is even better than the first, and swipes so strongly in the air that Louis jumps back. Even Harry himself is a little afraid of the patronus. It fades away, and Louis claps with delight. 

“Wow! That was amazing Harry! Come and show me how you did that.”

Harry grins with pride and goes to stand behind Louis. “Okay, hold your arm out straight, think of your most amazing memory, one that makes you really happy, and put some real force behind the incantation.”

Louis squares his shoulders and thrusts his arm forward. “Expecto Patronum!”

There’s a puff and a sort of dog shaped thing appears, but it’s not even as good as the last time Louis tried it. His shoulders drop and he spins round. “Is my arm straight enough? Am I doing it wrong?”

Harry shrugs “I think your arm’s fine, I’m not sure….”

“Show me Harry, you point my arm for me.”

Harry just gapes. “I er... what do you mean?”

Rolling his eyes, Louis takes Harry’s cold hand and places it on his upper arm, standing back so that Harry is almost hugging him from behind. “Point it, move my body if you have to, it might be the stance.”

Harry really doesn’t want Louis in this close proximity in case nature takes over and things get embarrassing. He pulls his cloak around his crotch and uses a flat hand on Louis’ back to move him around. “Okay, right hip forward a bit, arms straight and flick from the elbow.”

Louis casts the charm again and it’s even worse than last time. “This is hopeless, if it’s not the stance could it be the memory?”

Some reaction must cross Harry’s face because Louis’ eyes widen and he comes closer. “That’s it isn’t it? The memory’s not good enough. Professor Roach said I lost faith in it halfway through.”

Harry nods slowly. “Could be. What’s the memory? If you er...don’t mind telling me.”

Louis shrugs again. “It’s when I was scouted for the quidditch team when I was eleven. That was pure Potter - I was the youngest seeker in Hogwart’s history who wasn’t a Potter or a Weasley.”

Harry’s brow furrows. He was never even close to getting on the quidditch team, too clumsy, not graceful enough on the broom and not even a tiny bit competitive. “Is that really the best, most wonderful moment of your life?”

“Well, yeah, it was really. I mean, I couldn’t believe it when I got my Hogwarts letter, because my mum’s a muggle. But I wasn’t super happy about coming into this weird world where I didn’t understand anything, although being magic did explain a few things.”

Harry smiles at the phrase ‘being magic’. Such a muggle thing to say. 

“And then when I got here, I felt kind of left out because I was like, mixed mystical heritage, and never really knew my dad very well so I didn’t know about my Grandma being Callisto Bree-Austin. Although I always thought it was a weird name.”

“What?! Your Grandma was Callisto Bree-Austin? She was famous! She was in Gryffindor the same time as Minerva McGonagall!”

“Yeah, only I had no idea! So while all the other people with magic relatives were going on about it and showing off, I had nothing to talk about. Until I got on that broom, and it was the best moment of my life when I realised I was good at it. I was always too small for the football team at school and I hated it, but here, being small and light was good. I caught the snitch my second game!”

“I remember.” Conversely, that had been one of the worst moments of Harry’s life. Everyone had thought he looked so depressed because Gryffindor had just beaten Hufflepuff, but it was actually because he’d just realised that he and Louis were destined to exist in different circles. Louis the excellent quidditch player, popular with everyone, and Harry who was just ‘Gemma’s brother’, with no house legacy, the only one in five generations to be sorted into Hufflepuff rather than Ravenclaw.

“But that memory doesn’t seem to be cutting it now does it?” Louis looks disappointed, and Harry can’t help but take a risk.

“You know, I don’t actually use a memory to cast mine, it’s more of a .. dream, like a…” suddenly the word ‘fantasy’ sounds really sexual. “Like a wish.”

Louis nods, interested. “Right, like what might be in that...the mirror thing, the eristad mirror?”

“Erised, yeah sort of. Only, something a bit more...I don’t know, like a bit more physical? Like, kind of…” Harry can feel his cheeks warming up again. “Like what you said in class to Professor Roach…”

When the realisation creeps across Louis’ face it lights him up and he points at Harry with glee. “Styles! You had a sex fantasy to make a patronus!”

“No! Not a sex fantasy, just… just something I really wanted to happen, and I could imagine how it would feel and it just...came out the end of my wand.” Harry cringes. “I mean, literal wand. Oh my God, this is so embarrassing, you can’t tell anyone.”

Louis is laughing just like he did when they first met in the train carriage of the Hogwart’s Express, and Harry desperately wants to kiss him. “I won’t tell anyone Styles, promise. So, er, what was this fantasy? Anyone I know?”

Harry shakes his head, smiling. “It wasn’t anything, just a kiss, that’s all.”

“Well, kissing’s pretty good. Okay, let me try it.”

“Wh-what?” Harry glances around them. 

“Not kissing, the patronus charm! I’ll try it with a.. nice memory that hasn’t happened yet.” He bounces his eyebrows and stretches, closing his eyes and then thrusting his wand out from his shoulder. “Expecto Patronum!”

To Harry’s surprise, a little Jack Russell appears clear as day and starts bouncing up as if at the postman. “Wow, it’s the same as Ron Weasley’s!”

Louis is delighted. “It is, oh that’s amazing! Harry, I really owe you one.” He launches himself at Harry and gathers him up in a hug, patting him hard on the back. “Anything you need, what can I do for you?”

Louis is looking him straight in the eyes and it unnerves Harry so much that he blurts something out. Louis looks confused. “What did you say? Football?”

Harry clears his throat and mutters “Yule Ball”. 

Louis looks completely baffled. “What about the Yule Ball?”

Harry’s heart sinks. It’s never going to happen. “Well, just, I’m not going with anyone…”

Louis shakes his head gently, as if trying to understand.

“So I thought...maybe, like, if you see me there, and I’m on my own, you might, come over and say hello so I don’t look too pathetic.” He looks hopefully at Louis, praying he’s lowered his expectations enough.

Louis looks at him with nothing but pity. “Well, of course I will. I mean I would have done that anyway. Is that..is that really all you want?”

Harry nods, and feels a chill run through him, like his body knows he’s just given up on his dream.

Louis takes Harry’s hand and shakes it. “Deal. I might be going on my own anyway unless I can get Scarlett to forgive me for standing her up. Come on, let’s sit down and have some soup, I’m freezing here.” Louis sits down and pours some of the steaming hot mustard-coloured soup into the lid of the flask, offering it to Harry.

Harry takes a sip. It’s really good, and he tells Louis so. 

“Yeah, Ms Crockemboosh saved some for me. I’m her favourite.” Louis takes a sip of his own and regards Harry with amusement. “So, why are you going to the Yule Ball by yourself? I know about half a dozen girls who’d lose it if you asked them out. Or is it boys? Oh shit, sorry, is it boys?”

Harry takes a breath. “Yeah, it’s erm, boys.”

“Oh.” Louis seems surprised. “Well, whatever, I know a few boys who’d go with you too.”

“Hmm, I dunno, there’s someone...There’s someone I really like and, I don’t think it would be fair to go with anyone else, I don’t want to lead anybody on when there’s only one person I’m interested in.”

Louis scoffs, “You wouldn’t be leading them on, it’s just a bit of fun, the Yule Ball, it’s nothing serious is it? I’m not gonna marry Scarlett or anything, I just think she’ll look good in a dress, that’s all.”

“No, no! It’s really serious! The Yule Ball is like, before they stopped the Triwizard Tournament, it was where the competitors would have taken the person who was most special to them. Like, the person they might have to rescue in the tournament. It was a really big deal, like, even if your partner wasn’t the one you rescued, they might be the last person you dance with before you die. They might be the last person you kissed.” Harry notices the look of surprise on Louis’ face and decides to shut up. “Sorry, I...I mean it’s kind of special to me, so..But I guess it isn’t to everyone.”

Louis looks a little sad. “You’re letting yourself in for quite a bit of disappointment if you think the ball’s so important, but you won’t go with anyone. I mean, if you really, really believe that the person you go to the Yule Ball with is special to you, like, risk your life special, then you should probably ask them. Him. You should ask him.”

Harry shakes his head. “I can’t, it’s not fair to make him have to reject me. It’s not fair to put him in that position when I know there’s no chance.”

“You can’t be that in love with him then, if you won’t even try.” Louis sips on his soup and something alights inside of Harry.

“I am! I do love him! I’ve loved him since the day we met!”

“Ok, so ask him, because there’s got be a tiny chance, hasn’t there? There’s always a tiny chance.”

Harry shakes his head again, frustrated. “There’s not, there’s not even a tiny chance.”

Louis looks up at him, looks him dead in the eye. “That’s why you weren’t sorted into Gryffindor, Harry. Not brave enough.”

Harry’s nostrils flare and his eyes burn as the adrenaline of anger rushes through him. “Fine, okay, I’ll be brave, I’ll ask him. Louis, I’m in love with you, and I have been since we first met, so will you go to the Yule Ball with me?”

Louis’ jaw drops, and he freezes. “What?”

“You heard me. I love you, will you go to the Yule Ball with me?” Harry just out his chin defiantly.

“I...Harry....I….I think you’re great, but…”

Harry’s eyes remain steely as he swallows hard and nods. “See? Told you so.” He gets up and leaves, trying desperately to keep the tears from his eyes as he walks away. Louis doesn’t call to him, and so he keeps putting one foot in front of the other until he gets into the Hufflepuff bathroom and locks himself into a stall, letting silent, fat tears roll down his face.

\- 

The next 18 hours are complete torture. Harry cries so much that his eyes are red and puffy, and everyone can tell. He lies about having a cold, and people just nod, embarrassed. Zayn asks him five times what happened, and sneaks into his bed to cuddle him that night as Harry sobs quietly. He can’t bring himself to say what’s wrong, so he scribbles down a note to Zayn ‘Asked Louis out, he said no’. Zayn just gives him a pitiful look and cuddles him tighter.

The next day Harry just shuts down emotionally. He sees Louis in the dining hall at breakfast, and while he used to thank his lucky stars that his seat had such a good view of Louis, he now finds himself focusing intently on his toast to avoid his gaze. Thankfully, Harry has a three hour lesson of Care of Magical Creatures and then Divination whereas Louis studies Apparition and Alchemy. When he does make eye contact with Louis, in the corridor on the way to lunch, the boy looks sad, and Harry quickly looks away. That night Harry sulks in the Hufflepuff common room, and Zayn draws a black outline of a cat with a witch’s hat on and tells Harry to colour it in to distract himself. He’s just finished the last bit of the tail when Zayn reminds him of why he’s sad in the first place. 

“So Haz, you’re still coming to watch quidditch tomorrow aren’t you?”

“I suppose. Wait, who’s playing?”

Zayn rolls his eyes. “We’re playing Gryffindor”.

Harry groans. “No, I can’t, I can’t watch him.”

“Then watch us, you know, your actual house! You never know, he might get knocked off his broom.”

“Zayn! I don’t want him to get hurt, I love him. I just need to not be near him until I get over it.”

Zayn shakes his head kindly. “You didn’t get over him in the five years since you met him, I don’t think you’re gonna start now.”

Harry sighs, and behind him on the wall a Lilium Sympathia plant starts singing a sad, reedy song. “I’ll go. But I reserve the right to look completely miserable from start to finish.”

-

The match starts at 2pm the following day, and Harry has just managed to eat the biggest meal he’s had since his heart was ripped into tiny pieces. He sits in the stands with Zayn, his Hufflepuff scarf wrapped tightly around his neck as the bitter November winds bite. Zayn is talking about a team change and Harry is half listening, but then he sees the Gryffindor team come out onto the pitch and searches for Louis. He’s just behind the front row, his hair held back off his head with a black headband. The wind is really rattling now, and the players’ cloaks are billowing around and snapping with the force of the gale. Professor Magrellis has to duck as the Snitch and Bludgers are released and fly erratically off as she throws up the quaffle. Harry sees Louis fly off in pursuit of the snitch, while the Hufflepuff seeker Macy Bane’s cloak flaps around her head and obscures her vision. Louis is so graceful and quick usually but today the wind is blowing him wildly off course as he chases the snitch high up past the goal posts. A cheer goes up and Zayn digs him but Harry only watches Louis, zigging and zagging, dipping and rolling. Suddenly a huge gust goes up and Harry is forced into Zayn’s shoulder. “Whoah, Haz, I knew we should have sat further down, we’re right in the wind up here.” 

Harry nods, grimacing as another icy blast hits him. Then everything happens at once. The wind blows a massive gust right into his ear, making him cringe and cover his head. At the same time he hears a cry of anguish and looks up to see the Gryffindor players all heading towards something on the ground. He looks to see what’s happening and sees Professor Magrellis rushing over to the area below the Hufflepuff goal post. “What’s happening?” he yells to Zayn.

“It’s Tommo.” Someone yells, and Harry’s heart stops. “It’s Tommo, he’s on the floor!”

Harry stands to try and get a better look but all he sees is a mob of Gryffindors and teachers. Then they start to move back, and he sees the terrifying sight of Louis’ broken body being carried away on a stretcher. “No. No, it can’t...What happened, Zayn what happened?” There are tears in Harry’s eyes, both from the strength of the wind and an icy fear which grips him.

“He got blown into the goal post and knocked out, he fell a long way, mate, I ….He fell a long way.”

Harry jumps up, pushing past everyone to get to the ground and follow Louis inside. He ignores the calls of everyone he shoves out of the way to sprint towards the castle. The whole Gryffindor Quidditch team is at the doors of the infirmary when he gets there, and they won’t let him through. He tries to push past Liam Payne, who turns on him and grips his shoulders. “Where are you going? They won’t let anyone in.”

“Liam…leave him ” 

Harry glances up to see Niall giving Liam a look, and nodding towards Harry. “It’s Harry Styles, leave him.”

Liam lets go of his shoulders and nods. “Sorry Harry, but they won’t let you in.”

“How...What happened, is he okay?” Harry is vaguely aware there are tears running down his face but he just doesn’t care. 

“No, not really.” Niall says. “He hit the ground like a rock, his head was bleeding. He was like a doll when we lifted him onto the stretcher. Jeez, I hope he makes it.”

“Wh - what do you mean ‘hope he makes it’? He’s going to be okay isn’t he? I mean, he won’t…”

Harry looks desperately at Niall and Liam, but before they can answer Professor Magrellis comes out of the infirmary to a barrage of questions from the waiting students. Withe her greying blonde hair set in a neat, short style and her long, regal nose in the air she cuts a stern, but glamorous figure. She raises her hands for quiet, before folding them in front of her.

“Mr Tomlinson is very badly injured but he is receiving excellent care. There is nothing that any of you can do today except hinder the work that is going on to help him get better, so I must ask you not to try and enter the infirmary. I don’t want to have to cast a barring spell, but I will if I think Louis’ recovery will be affected. There will be an update on his condition at dinner.” 

A few people start to mumble and break away but Harry, Niall and Liam stay put. “Professor, he won’t die will he?” Harry asks. 

The Professor looks down at him and something in his tear-stained face must affect her as she softens her voice. “No, Mr Styles. But he is still very badly hurt.”

“Can’t someone go in, so he’s not by himself?” Liam says.

She shakes her head. “He isn’t awake, there are medical staff working on him, and he doesn’t know that he’s by himself. When he becomes more stable a few people may be able to visit for a short time, but he must not become a curiosity to be set a vigil over.” She looks at the trio thoughtfully. “I suppose you and Mr Horan are his closest friends, Liam. When he is stable enough you may see him.”

“And Harry, professor.” Niall says, and Harry’s head jerks round in surprise. “Harry should be able to see him, please.”

She nods. “Very well Mr Horan, I shall take it under advisement. But please do not pester me about when you may see him, as soon as he is strong enough I will come and find you. Now, go about your business please.” She sweeps away, her long, patchwork coat flapping behind her. 

Harry looks at Niall, his eyes still wet. “Thanks Niall, I - I don’t really know why you said that but thanks.”

Niall shrugs. “He’d want to see you, and I know, I mean, if I loved someone I’d want to be with them if, anything happened.”

Harry is silently mortified that Louis told Niall about his declaration of love, but he’s grateful that he gets to see Louis. He gathers his cloak around him and goes to leave, but Liam calls him back. “Do you fancy coming into Hogsmeade Harry? We could all go, take our minds off it. Not that - I don’t mean that, I just mean we won’t do any good sitting here crying.”

Harry nods happily, “Yeah, okay, that’s be nice.” They silently start the walk out towards Hogsmeade Village, and every step he takes away from Louis hurts his heart, though he knows there’s nothing he can do.

-

At dinner Professor Magrellis tells them that Louis is still very poorly but stable. Afterwards she calls Niall, Liam and Harry to her office and explains that Louis is in a coma. Harry cries, and Niall and Liam try their best to comfort him although tears also well in their eyes. “You may each see him every day for thirty minutes each. Niall you will go in the morning before breakfast, Liam at lunch, and Harry in the half hour before dinner. The following day you will rotate. Tomorrow is Sunday so I have made a special dispensation for you to choose your own time, but an hour is all I will allow to each of you. He is not responsive at the moment and I do not want three students driving themselves to distraction by setting a constant watch over him. His mother has been informed and she will be visiting as soon as she can. Are there any questions?”

The three boys shake their heads, and the Professor nods. “Very well, decide tomorrow’s visiting times between you and do not forget that Madame Suture has complete authority over Louis’ care. If she says no visitors, at any time, then you must comply. Off you go now.”

She looks down at her desk and continues some paperwork and the boys leave her to it. As soon as they are outside the office, Niall speaks up. “I think Harry should go in first tomorrow. What time do you want to see him?”

“First thing, before breakfast.” Harry can’t wait to see him, although part of him can’t stand the thought of seeing Louis so ill.

“Okay, Liam?”

Liam says he will go after lunch, and Niall takes the hour after dinner. Back in the Hufflepuff common room, Zayn is drawing something on a piece of card, and Harry collapses into one of the overstuffed yellow and black armchairs next to him. “What are you drawing?”

“Get well card for Louis.” Zayn says, his eyes never leaving the paper. “When you see him will you take it?”

“Yeah, of course, I’m seeing him before breakfast tomorrow.”

Zayn glances up at him. “He’ll be okay Harry, he’s tough. Talk to him and stuff, it might help him come out of it.”

“You know then? About the coma?”

“Yeah, bad news travels fast around here. Someone overheard one of the teachers saying it.”

Harry sinks back into his chair. “What if he was distracted because of what I said to him? What if it’s my fault?”

Zayn puts his pen down and turns to face Harry. “No. Stop it. You had nothing to do with it. It was just one of them things, it was bad luck.”

Harry nods and pulls his cloak around him as he curls into the chair. He knows he won’t sleep tonight.

\- 

The following morning Harry wakes at six and goes for a walk in the freezing cold, to make absolutely sure he doesn’t miss his appointment to see Louis. He wanders down to the pagoda and sits there shivering, remembering the last time he saw Louis laugh, before everything went wrong. He sits there until his feet go numb and then panics in case he gets a cold and won’t be allowed to see Louis. He rushes up to the castle and goes back down to the Hufflepuff common room to warm himself up by the big copper pipes. Just as he starts to warm through he remembers Zayn’s card and goes back to the dorm to get it, creeping in so as not to disturb his friend or the other boys, who are sleeping deeply on this cold Sunday morning. As he picks the card up from Zayn’s bedside table he sees some writing paper and decides to write Louis a letter. He takes it back to the deserted common room and settles at the big oak table to write.

_Dear Louis_

_I’m so sorry about how I acted at the pagoda. I was frustrated because I knew you didn’t return my feelings and I didn’t want to burden you with them. I have been through every possible scenario of speaking to you about it since we were eleven and I didn’t even really understand my own heart. I promise that after you get better I won’t mention my feelings for you again, I hope we can still be friends and you can be safe in the knowledge I won’t push for you for anything more. But you should also know that I will love you all my life, and that if I could switch our places and put myself in that hospital bed, I would do it in a heartbeat._

_Harry_

There’s a tear rolling down his face as he finishes, knowing that he has just denied himself any more hope that Louis will ever love him back. He folds and seals the letter with wax and the Hufflepuff seal and writes Louis’ name on the back. He takes a deep breath, and collects the letter and Zayn’s card. 

It’s just before eight when he gets to the infirmary and knocks on the big wooden doors. The door swings open at his touch and he steps inside. “Er, hello? Madame Suture?”

“Ah Harry. The door is charmed to open only to those who have been given permission. I can still cast a charm when I want to you know!” she chuckles, waving him inside. “He isn’t awake, but I am confident that he will come round soon. He’s a strong boy.”

Harry follows her past four other students, who are all quietly dozing, to a corner bed with a screen pulled around it. She rolls away one of the screens and gestures to Harry to sit down next to the bed. Louis looks pale and crumpled. He looks so small lying there, with none of the cheekiness or vitality that make him who he is. There is a heavy bruising on the side of his face and his skin is almost as pale as the white gown he is wearing. A large bandage is wrapped all the way around his head, making his usually perfect hair stick up at all angles.

“Sit down Harry, take his hand so he knows you’re here.” Madame Suture puts a gentle hand on his shoulder and then leaves him to it.

Harry sits. He really wants to give Louis a tiny peck on the cheek but he knows Louis wouldn’t want that. He is even reticent to hold his hand without checking it’s okay with him. In the end he places his hand gently over the top of Louis’ and leaves it there for a few minutes. After that he just rests his hand on the bed, touching their pinkie fingers ever so slightly. He watches Louis’ face but there’s no change in it. He doesn’t know what to do so he just tries to tidy around Louis’ bed. There are quite a few cards and only one bedside table, so he moves some of them onto the window sill above Louis’ bed, straightens the water jug and glass which Louis won’t use and brushes some stray petals from a bunch of marigolds into the bin. When he’s finished, the bed and its surroundings are much neater and Madame Suture seems pleased.

“Oh Harry, you have been good. I’m run ragged at the moment with five students, and I know that after the Slytherin Ravenclaw quidditch match today there will be another few beds taken.” 

“I could help you Matron. Isn’t there anything I can do so that you can concentrate on Louis?” 

Madame Suture smiles kindly. “That’s very sweet Harry but I - “ She pauses and hands Harry a tissue for the tears that are again starting to roll down his face. “You know, my store cupboard is an absolute disgrace at the moment. It needs a good clear out and a clean to be honest, and I don’t think it can wait until the Christmas holiday.”

Harry smiles. “I can do that, I’m very organised, I can do it for you and then you can think of things to help Louis.”

“Very well then, come with me and I’ll show you. Say goodbye to Louis, he needs his rest.”

Harry places his hand back on top of Louis’ and gently squeezes it. “Get well soon Louis, I’ll be here, I’m not leaving.”

Madame Suture’s store cupboard is indeed a mess. It’s about three meters wide and runs about six meters back, and there is just about enough floor space for one person to stand still. “How do you get anything out Matron?” Harry asks.

She gives a swipe of her wand. “Accio bitteroot balm.” and Harry ducks as a small glass jar of blue goo flies past his head. “Don’t tell Headmistress Sinistra I did that, she’s a stickler for order, as you know. Cleaning supplies are in the blue drawers.”

Harry takes a deep breath looking at the disastrous cupboard. “I’ll get to it Matron.” He goes to the blue drawers and puts on gloves as he is sure that some of the jars contain things which would be poisonous if they were touched. He thinks about Louis, and how much easier it would have been if he was just suffering from some easy magical maladie which might have been fixed by a potion or a healing spell. He starts to get upset again and launches himself into his work as a distraction. First he clears out all the empty jars and bottle, and all the rubbish which seems to have accumulated in there, Then he starts to re-arrange the contents into some kind of order and re-labels all of the drawers in the apothecary cabinet so that Madame Suture can find things. He finds an inventory folder which hasn’t been looked at in years by the looks of the dust on top of it, and goes through it meticulously, casting a charm which automatically adds items to the stock order form when there is only one left. Finally he dusts and sweeps the entire cupboard until there isn’t a trace of dust on any of the shelves. By the time he’s finished he is filthy and has a sudden sneezing fit, which attracts the Matron’s attention.

“Good heavens, Harry, you are a marvel! Ten points to Hufflepuff!”

Harry beams with pride and tells her about the ordering charm he cast, which earns him another five points as Madame Suture admits she wouldn’t have known how. He sneezes again and this time he also has a coughing fit, which leads to Matron turfing him out of the infirmary and telling him to be dust free when he comes back to visit Louis tomorrow lunchtime. 

\- 

The following day Harry is just getting ready to go and visit Louis, eating as quick as he can so that he spend as much time in the infirmary as possible ( and since Professor Magrellis warned him he must not miss meals or he would be banned from going), when Liam rushes into the great hall and grabs him by the shoulders. “Harry, he’s awake, he’s awake!”

Harry tosses down his spoon and jumps up, only pausing to look at the teachers’ table. 

“Professor Magrellis is already there, she says you can come, come on Harry!”

They virtually sprint to the infirmary, having to skid to avoid Peeves who then chases them down the halls rattling a coat of armour. Luckily Professor Magrellis is outside the infirmary door and Peeves slinks off, leaving the armour in an untidy heap on the floor. “Ah, Mr Styles. You may enter, but Mr Payne I must ask to come back later, you have already seen Louis today.”

“Aw, but Professor he was asleep then! Come on please, just let me see him quick.” Liam sulks.

The professor sighs. “Come back at the same time as Mr Horan then, before dinner.”

Liam nods, a little deflated, and claps Harry on the back. “Give him a hug from me, mate.”

A chill runs down Harry’s spine. What if Louis doesn’t want to see him? What if he’s wondering why on earth Harry is allowed to see him? Scarlett hasn’t been allowed to see him at all, though she has steadfastly refused to go to the Yule Ball with anyone else, despite not being short of offers.

“Well, what are you waiting for Mr Styles, in you go.” Professor Magrellis says, waving him through the door impatiently.

Harry takes a deep breath and goes inside. There are still three beds occupied before Louis, but the screens have gone from around his bed. The only problem is, he’s not in it. Harry walks over, and stops in his tracks when he sees his letter to Louis, open on the bedside table. He stares at it, frozen to the spot. He looks around but Louis is nowhere to be seen. He quickly turns around and heads back to the doors when he hears a hoarse cry of ‘Harry!’.

He turns, and there is Louis, still in his long, white hospital gown, his hair fluffy and unruly without whatever product he puts in it, and with thick red and yellow socks which almost reach his knees. Louis looks down. “Oh, my mum made them for me. She found out I was awake and I told her not to come all the way here, she’s got my little brother and sisters to look after.”

Harry just nods, still reticent to move any closer. “How are you?” he manages to say.

Louis shrugs. “I feel okay, just a bit wobbly. This is the first time Matron’s let me go to the bathroom on my own.”

“Yes, and I regret it already! Back into bed with you before you fall, you silly boy.” Matron bustles him back into bed and Harry moves closer, still with one eye on the opened letter. 

Louis rolls his eyes as Matron fusses around him, tucking him in. “I’m fine Matron, Harry’s here now, he’ll keep an eye on me.”

“Yes, well you’re lucky to have him! Did I tell you what he did to my cupboard?”

“Only about six times, Matron.”

Harry blushes and Madame Suture shakes her head. “Well, you’re certainly getting back to your old self, cheeky scamp. Not too long now, Harry, he’s weaker than he looks.”

Matron walks off to see another patient, and Harry tentatively sits next to the bed and fiddles with the sheets. “I’m glad you’re feeling better. You look better, I mean you don’t look so pale.”

“I’m okay, just needed some rest and a few cups of tea, that was all.” Louis starts to fidget looks down at his lap. “Thanks for your letter, Harry.” he says softly. 

Harry just gives the tiniest nod and digs his fingernails into his hand so he doesn’t cry.

“I was thinking, about the Yule Ball-" Louis starts, and Harry’s battered but hopeful heart leaps. “I’m still going with Scarlett, because she’s waited for me, but I mean, I was thinking maybe we could have a dance, what do you think?”

Harry smiles. “I’d really like that, but only if you want to, and you can change your mind if you want, I won’t be upset.”

Louis grins and rolls his eyes again. “I won’t change my mind. I’ll save a good one for you. Matron does go on about it, but it was nice of you to help her, so that she could look after me. That was really...selfless of you.”

Harry shrugs. “Wasn’t helping you just sat here being sad. Thought I’d make myself useful.”

“Unlike Niall who ate a whole box of chocolates that were meant for me! And Liam who apparently just talked about quidditch and what we needed to do to recover from the game we forfeited!” Louis complains but there’s a sparkle in his eyes that Harry has missed. 

They sit and chat about nothing in particular until Madame Suture comes around and tells Harry that visiting time is over and that Louis needs a nap. When Harry gets up to leave Louis takes his hand and squeezes it. “I might be in here right up until the Yule Ball, so keep coming to visit me, yeah?”

Harry promises he will, and has a spring in his step as he leaves the infirmary and heads to his favourite lesson, Divination. He must look extra happy because old Professor Trelawny warns him against clouding his mind with too much optimism, even though he’s her best student. Though she perks up when she demonstrates the tarot cards and deals him the Fool and the Lovers. “Oh my, Harry, congratulations! A new love is coming your way!” she says when they start their lesson on tarot readings. “I see now, that someone quite unexpected will come into your life, as if they fell from the sky!”. 

He simply smiles at her and shakes his head once she has moved on to another student. Her prophecies famously never come true.

\- 

Two weeks pass and Harry visits Louis every day. He begins to accept that a friendship with Louis will be wonderful, even if there is no romance. He and Louis make each other laugh, and have a warmth between them that Louis doesn't seem to have with his other friends, even Liam and Niall. It seems that Louis can be softer, more gentle around Harry, without the need for the macho sportsman persona that others have forced upon him. 

Soon enough, the Yule Ball is upon them, and Louis is extra antsy in his hospital bed. He has still had to do his homework, and has extra reading because of the practical classes he has missed, and now he is dying to get out of bed properly and mix with the other students. Eventually, on the morning before the Ball, Madame Suture signs him off from bedrest and Louis is able to rejoin his house. 

Harry doesn’t see much of Louis after he’s released from the infirmary, as suddenly the whole school seems to be held in Yule Ball fever. Some dateless older students suddenly realise that they don’t have any more time to lose and start asking out students from the year below, and this causes a rush of excitement in the school which leaves the teachers looking frazzled. In History of Magic Professor Lear describes the old style Yule Ball, which was only held on the Christmas Day before a Triwizard Tournament, and tells the students how lucky they are that now one is held every year before the end of term. Harry doesn't think he would have been happy to be still at school on Christmas Day, and he’s suddenly glad that he didn’t attend Hogwarts in Harry Potter’s time, no matter how exciting it might have been. 

On the day of the ball he’s just finishing breakfast when an owl comes for him, from his sister Gemma. He waits until he’s in his bedroom to open it, as it’s a large parcel and might be an embarrassing muggle Christmas jumper like last year. Zayn is bustling around him, getting dressed for the ball and fretting over the charm he has been practising called flos talpa which will change the corsage he has bought for Eartha into the same colour as the dress she is wearing. Harry unwraps the gift and gasps as he pulls out the most beautiful black velvet frock coat. He puts it on and poses in front of the mirror, tossing his slightly worn green velour robes aside. “Zayn look at this! I look good, don’t I?”

Zayn whistles at him. “You look great Harry, you need that little flower thing round your neck instead of the bow tie though, you don’t want to look like a… what’s that muggle word for a fake wizard? A magician!”

Harry nods sagely and gets the black satin flower that goes around the collar of his black shirt. He checks himself in the mirror again and grins. He looks great, even if he is dateless. 

“Still think you should have asked Jake out you know,” Zayn says, as if reading his mind. “He’s going with Alfie Buisson now, that Slytherin boy with the cheekbones.”

Harry shrugs. “It wouldn’t have been fair to go with him but then ditch him when Louis wanted to dance with me. I’ve promised Professor Canis I’ll help him with the drinks anyway. I won’t just be sitting on my own.”

Zayn takes Harry by the shoulders and gives him his serious face. “Just, don’t get your hopes up mate, okay? He might forget to dance with you, or he might change his mind, I don’t want to see you upset.”

Harry smiles. “You’ll save me a dance won’t you Zayny?”

“Of course I will, mate.” Zayn kisses his hard on the cheek and claps his hands. “Right, come on, let’s go. We have to parade in first because we’re the sixth formers and we rule the school!” 

\- 

It’s not as mortifying as Harry expects when they all have to walk into the Great Hall in twos. Luckily there are enough people going on their own that they can be paired off to walk down the red carpet and have the first dance of the ball. Harry is paired with Kirsty Banks-Morris who looks lovely in a black velvet gown with red roses, and they look an attractive pair when they’re waltzing around the floor. After the first dance, Harry glances around and sees Louis in a navy blue suit and white shirt and tie, on the arm of Scarlett, who looks like a delightful winter fairy in a pale blue dress with sparkling crystals on the bodice. Harry heads over to help Professor Canis, who is quietly chuckling to himself.

“What’s the matter, Professor?”

The Professor’s ruddy cheeks glow as he whispers conspiratorially to Harry. “I overheard Niall Horan saying he was going to spike the punch with pumpkin vodka, so I have charmed the bowl to spray directly into the face of anyone who tries to add alcohol.”

Sure enough, Niall soon sneaks over to the bowl with a small flask which he tips into the mixture, and receives a blast of orange to the face. Harry and the Professor double over with laughter as Niall looks defeated and cleans himself up with a quick charm. He looks over at the pair and applauds them as he shakes his head and walks away.

The room is enchanting, with the beautiful floating chandeliers and the effect of snow falling inside the room. Harry eats more than he should from the buffet and has his promised dance with Zayn whilst trying not to be sick from overeating. “So Haz, have you danced with Louis yet?”

Harry shakes his head. “I don’t think anyone could tear themselves away from Scarlett, she looks amazing.”

Zayn pats him on the waist where his hand is resting as he leads them in a slowed down foxtrot. “Never mind mate.”

As the song ends Harry sends Zayn back to Eartha, and an announcement comes from the band that this is the last dance. Harry sits at the drinks table and pours himself a glass of pumpkin punch as he watches Louis take to the floor with Scarlett. He idly looks around to see if Kirsty is also sat alone, but she’s dancing with a fifth year boy. Professor Canis sits down and starts to talk about how wonderful the night has been and how it’s much better now that the stress of the Triwizard Tournament doesn’t hang over everyone, but Harry isn’t really listening. As the band finish their last song and the couples all kiss on the cheek, or bow to each other, Harry sighs heavily and asks the Professor if he can go.

The room empties quickly as couples go off to their common rooms or to sit outside and watch the stars. Harry isn’t feeling like talking to anyone, so he goes to the one place he knows he will be alone. He is just approaching the old pagoda when he sees Louis there and halts in his tracks. He remembers that Louis was delighted with how private the pagoda was, and realises he must have brought Scarlett there. With tears threatening to prick at his eyes, Harry turns and heads back towards the castle, making a mental note to find another secret place that he can go to when he feels as sad as he does now. 

“Harry! Harry, wait!”

Harry turns round to see Louis at the end of the path. He doesn’t know what to do so just stands, looking at him.

“Come here, I need to talk to you.”

Harry goes, though he really doesn’t want Louis to see him cry. When he gets closer to the pagoda he sees that Scarlett isn’t there after all, and looks to Louis for an explanation. 

“I thought you’d come here Harry. I’m sorry I didn’t save you a dance in there, Scarlett was being so nice to me, and I had to… Well I had to let her down.”

Harry furrows his brow. “Why did you have to do that?”

Louis has his hands in his pockets, and he looks scared to death. “Well, I had to tell her I couldn’t be her boyfriend or anything, that it was just this night. She was nice about it, though. She said everyone knew, anyway. About you.”

Harry cringes. “I’ve ruined it for you, haven’t I? I’m sorry Louis, I didn’t think it was obvious, but Niall knew, he told me. Did you tell him what I said, when we were here last?”

Louis looks confused. “Niall? No, I never told anyone.”

“It must have been really obvious then, because he asked Professor Magrellis to let me see you, and when I asked him why he said that if he loved someone, he’d want to see them.”

Louis gives a pained smile. “Me, Harry, he was talking about me.”

Harry shakes his head, not understanding, and Louis steps closer to him and gingerly puts his arms around Harry’s waist. 

“He meant I was in love. With you.”

“No, “ mutters Harry. “No, but you’re not are you?”

Louis looks deep into Harry’s eyes and leans forward to kiss him. The kiss is like nothing Harry has ever felt before, like he wants to cheer and cry at the same time. When they break apart a tear is shining in Louis’s eye and suddenly snowflakes are falling on them both, catching on Louis’ eyelashes. Harry smiles wider than he thought possible and squeezes Louis tight.

“Ow! Careful Harry, I did just fall out of the sky remember?”

Harry springs back, then starts to laugh. “She was right! She was right, after all. Love that fell out of the sky.”

Louis shakes his head. “What are you talking about?”

“Nothing,” says, smiling. “Doesn’t matter, just kiss me again.”

The snow starts to fall faster in the frozen sky, and two boys melt beneath it.

 

Epilogue

Harry paces outside of the Defence room. He has passed his practical by once again casting a beautifully formed tiger patronus, but Louis is in there now, and though they’ve been practising together, his dog has become really malformed and blurry lately. Suddenly the door opens and Louis walks out, looking slightly befuddled.

“Well? Did you do it?”

“Yeah...Only...It was different. It wasn’t the Jack Russell.”

Harry’s heart stops. “Well, what was it?”

Louis looks at him, his blue eyes clear and bright. “It was yours Harry, it was a tiger. What do you reckon that means?”

Harry grins and grabs his boyfriend, spinning him round. “I knew it! I absolutely knew it!”

Louis laughs. “Put me down, idiot! Are you going to tell me what that means or what?”

“Later. I’ll explain later.” Harry says, his smile still lighting up his face.

Louis just rolls his eyes. “Okay fine, oh and Professor Roach said to tell you, congratulations or something? I don’t know why, you did your exam ages ago.”

Harry just nods to himself as he puts his arm around Louis and leads them off to dinner. “I know what she means. It’s a memory now.”


End file.
